# Is "The Kingdom of the Wicked" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Kingdom of the Wicked by Anthony Burgess (Hutchinson, 1985) is identified by: First edition, Hutchinson, London, 1985, hardcover. UK Hutchinson 1985 is the accepted true first; the first American edition was Arbor House, New York, 1985.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Hutchinson, London, 1985, hardcover
- A historical novel of the early Christian church
- The UK Hutchinson edition precedes (or is contemporaneous with) the first American edition, Arbor House, New York, 1985 (379 pp., ISBN 0-87795-753-3)
- A separate Franklin Library signed limited edition also appeared in 1985 but is not the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Hutchinson, London, 1985, hardcover |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, Hutchinson, London, 1985, hardcover. A historical novel of the early Christian church. The UK Hutchinson edition precedes (or is contemporaneous with) the first American edition, Arbor House, New York, 1985 (379 pp., ISBN 0-87795-753-3). A separate Franklin Library signed limited edition also appeared in 1985 but is not the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson 1985 is the accepted true first; the first American edition was Arbor House, New York, 1985. Verify by imprint, as both bear the 1985 date.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No conventional book-club edition; note a separate Franklin Library signed limited edition exists, distinct from the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Kingdom of the Wicked* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-kingdom-of-the-wicked
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.